It was one of the drugs used by Marilyn Monroe when she took her own life.

The brand affectedCredit: JM Smucker

The recall followed an investigation by WJLA, a TV station in Washington, which found pentobarbital in almost two thirds of cans it tested.

The FDA said: “Pets that eat pet food containing pentobarbital can experience drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea, nystagmus (eyes moving back and forth in a jerky manner) and inability to stand. Consuming high levels of pentobarbital can cause coma and death.”

It concluded that the small amounts detected posed little risk to dogs.

“However, any detection of pentobarbital in pet food is a violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act—simply put, pentobarbital should not be in pet food,” it said.

The FDA said the low levels presented little risk

Smucker said it had identified the problem at a single supplier, from a single, minor ingredient, used at one manufacturing facility.

“We take this very seriously and are extremely disappointed that pentobarbital was introduced to our supply chain. We will continue to work closely with our suppliers and veterinarians to ensure the ingredients used in our products meet or exceed regulatory safety standards and our high-quality standards,” said Barry Dunaway, president of the companies pet foods division.

“Above all, we are a company that loves pets and understand the responsibility we have in providing high quality food for the pets our consumers love.”